US635729A - Escapement. - Google Patents

Description

No. 635,729. Patented Oct. 24, I899. H. GANNEY.

ESGAPEMENT.

(Applicution flkd Feb. 17, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

uuroumonwasumumn o c No. 635,729. Patented Oct. 24, I899.

. H. GANNEY.

ESGAPEMENT.

(Application filed Feb. 17, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITE Saree HENRY GANNEY, OF NEXV YORK,

PATENT @rrrcn.

ESOAPEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,729, dated Getober 24, 1899.

Application filed February 1'7, 1899. Serial No. 705,830. lllo model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GANNEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Single Beat Watches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the escapement mechanism of timepieces; and the object of my invention is to give to single-beat watches, like the chronometer and duplex, the certainty of action of double-beat watches, such as the lever and the horizontal, and at the same time to retain their superior time-keeping qualities. I attain this object in and by the mechanism illustrated herewith and particularly described hereinafter.

The essential feature of myinvention is the employment of auxiliary impulse-teeth on an escape-wheel adapted to engage with a pallet when desired, but so arranged as to clear the same upon its return stroke or when it is not desired to so engage. By this arrangement a stronger impulse is obtained and the engagement is made at the right moment, as is also the disengagement, thereby saving the engaging friction common to the ordinary dupleX.

I will now proceed to describe a mechanism embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features in the claims.

Figure 1 is an enlarged view in detail of an escape-wheel and pallet embodying my inven tion, the escape-wheel being shown in face elevation and the pallet in horizontal section. Fig. 2 illustrates a transverse section of the same; and Fig. 3 illustrates a slightly-modified form, but embodying the same invention. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are figures similar to Fig. 1, but showing the parts in different relative positions.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures.

J designates an escape-wheel having a plurality of teeth L, of ordinary or well-known construction. In the escape-wheel here illustrated there are fifteen. There may of course be more or less, as may be desired. The escape-wheel is mounted upon a suitable axis, as is usual, and designed to be constantly impelled in one direction (that of the arrow in Fig. 1) through a suitable train of gearing and a spring, all of which is old in the art and too well known to require detailed description herein, it forming no part of the present invention. The escape-wheel is further provided with fifteen supplemental teeth K,therc being a corresponding tooth K for every tooth L. The function of these teeth will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

ld designates a pallet mounted on a suitable axis and provided with a roller having a suitable notch therein, as is usual in the duplex, to engage with teeth L of the escapement-wheel J. The pallet-axis has provided of course the usual or any desired form of balance-wheel and hair-spring, all in a manner and for a purpose well known. The teeth L of the wheel J tends to throw the pallet, with its balance-wheel, around in the direction of the arrow shown in connection therewith in Fig. 1 against the resistance of the hair-spring and the hair-spring is arranged to return the same. The pallet M is provided on its under side with a notch through which the teeth K are intended to pass at certain times.

The action of the escapement is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, a tooth of the escapewheel will just have completed its full impulse on the pallet and the pallet (with its balance-wheel) will be revolving about its axis against the resistance of the hair-spring in the direction of the arrow. The escapewheel will be held against further movement by the succeeding tooth L, which will bear against the roller. Then the resistance of the hair-spring shall have accumulated sufficiently to overcome the momentum of the pallet and balance-wheel, the same will return in a direct-ion opposite to that in which the arrow is pointing and the pallet will swing around, the recess q in the pallet M per1nitting the said pallet to clear the uprising tooth K in its passage. The teeth K maybe called impulse teeth. The notch in the roller also passes by the tooth L, the said tooth merely dropping slightly and being picked right up again as the said notch passes it while going in such direction. Fig. 4 shows one of the teeth L as about to engage the notch in the roller to drive the pallet, with its bal :2; ceases ance-wheel, dad, in the direction of the arrow in such figure. Figs. 5 and 6 show progressive movements in the same direction. 7 shows the escape-wheel stationary and the pallet returning, the impulse tooth being passed by the pallet by reason of the recess in the pallet. Upon the first return movement of the pallet the recess q will again pass the tooth H, the said tooth drawing out and bearing against the front edge thereof, as shown in Fig. 5. The force of the hair-spring imparts such momentum to the balance-wheel and pallet that the same overthrows considerably, and the hair-spring then reacts and forces the pallet back or in the direction of the arrow. The pallet then again passes the impulse-tooth by reason of the recess g. at about this time, however, the notch in the roller comes opposite one of the teeth 1, which tooth engages the said notch, and the escapewheel being free to move forward does so and applies an initial impulse to the balancewheel. The continued movement of the balancewheel and pallet brings the parts to the positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, in which it will be seen that the tooth L has com pleted its action on the balance, the said tooth having cleared the notch in the roller. The impulse-tooth If, however, has just begun to engage the front curved face of the pallet and will continue to drive the same until a full step of the step-by-step movement has been made by the escape-wheel and the parts are again in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. The result of this will be a very full, clean, and sharp impulse given to the balance and given at the time it would do the most good.

It will be seen that the impulse-tooth does not engage the pallet until after it has passed an imaginary line drawn through the of the balance and escape wheels. This obviates the engaging friction common to the ordinary duplex, in which the impulse-tooth engages by necessity with. the pallet as great a distance on one side of such aline as it remains in engagement on the other. Furthermore, this arrangement renders available the long curved face of the pallet, the curve of which may be so arranged as to diminish or increase the force of the impulse, as may be desired.

A. further incidental vantage in the manufacture of the escape-wheel is that the impulse-teeth, unlike the teeth of the ordinary duplex, are arranged in line with the other teeth on said wheel, and hence can be cut together. I may vary the position of the im pulse-teeth, however, from that shownin the drawings. 1 may, if I desire, place them at the extreme end, or E n'iay place them at the base of the other teeth. l have already constructed escapcments in both manners and. they have worked well. I have, however, in

both cases retained the underlying principle of the impulse-tooth and the pallet clearing themselves when not in coaetive operation.

In 3 l have shown a slightly-modified form, in which the pallet is in the form of apin which may be attached to an arm on the balance-axis or may be secured to the balance-wheel itself. In this case I widen the impulse-tooth in order to get the required stroke and preferably cut away the outer face of the pin, as N in the drawings, on an are described with the balance-axis in the center. This is designed to prevent a possible set through a wedging action upon the return stroke of the balance.

What I claim is 1. The combination in an escapement mechanism of an escape-wheel having a plurality of teeth, a balance-roller havinga notch with which the said teeth are adapted to engage, aplurality of auxiliary impulse-teeth, a pallet carried with the said roller and adapted to engage with the said auxiliary impulse-teeth, said pallet being arranged with a clearance or recess between its outer extremity and its axis whereby it may pass clear of the impulse teeth when returning or when not desired to engage therewith substantially as specified.

2. The combination in an escapement mechanism of an escapcwheel having a plurality of teeth, a balance-roller having a notch with which the said th are adapted to engage, a plurality of auxiliary impulse-teeth, a pallet carried with the said roller and adapted to engage with the said auxiliary impulse-teeth, a recess or clearance arranged in said pallet whereby when said pallet and one of said impulse-tceth are on an imaginary line drawn through both the balance and escape wheel axes, the said pallet will pass the impulsetooth without touching same substantially as specified.

33. The combination. in an escapement mechanism of an escape-wheel having a plurality of teeth, a balance-roller havin a notch with which the said teeth adapted to engage, a pluralityof auxiliary impulse-teeth, a pallet carried with the said roller and adapted to engage with the said auxiliary impulse-teeth, said pallet being arranged with a clearance or recess between its outer extremity and its axis whereby it may pass clear of the impulseteeth when returning r when not desired to engage therewith, the outer extremity of said pallet being formed substantially on an arc of a circle described with the axis of the pallet as a center sul stantially as specified.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 16th day February, A. U. lSflO.

lVitnesses:

ELiPlmLnr l3. Tnnnv, Enmrnn HICKS.

IIO

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